Automatic shaver with floating pincer cutting action



M h 25,1952 s. WOWCHUK 2,827,692

AUTOMATIC SHAVER WITH FLOATING PINCER CUTTING ACTION Filed June 14, 1955 STEPHEN WOWCH CK INV TOR BY PATENT AGENT United States Patent AUEGPM'IEC SHAVER WITH FLOATING PENCER CUTTING ACTION Stephen Wowchuir, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,503

3 Claims. (Ci. 36-42) This invention relates to shavers.

In the past shavers have taken two general formsthe cutting lade type as exemplified by the straight razor and so-calle safety razors and the shearing head type commonly employed in electric shavers.

As is well known, the cutting blade type razor has at least two notable disadvantages (a) the fact that the blade scrapes the skin and causes minute abrasions and cuts leaving the skin feeling hot or drawn and (b) the efficiency of the shave depends upon the sharpness of the blade used and constant stopping and honing is required for permanent blade types while frequent blade changes are required for the safety razor type.

The various types of electric razors in common use today also suffer from many disadvantages. Among these is the fact that since the cutting action is achieved through a shearing of the stubble, a cutter passing over a guide, a close shave cannot be obtained. In addition, while the sharpness of the cutting head is not as critical in these types as in the cutting type of razor, the shearing blades do tend to become dull and thereupon in many cases will push the stubble back rather than shearing it off as was intended.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a shaver operating on a new cutting principle.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a shaver in which a close shave may be obtained without abrasion or cutting of the skin.

It is a further object of this invention to produce such a shaver in which the cutting portions require no sharpening and present no sharp or dangerous edges.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a shaver capable of either mechanical or electrical actuation with attendant advantages as will be later pointed out in detail.

These and other advantageous objects will become apparent through a consideration of the following detailed description of one embodiment of my invention taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical cross-section taken through a shaver constructed so as to embody this invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed view taken at right angles to the view of Figure l and illustrating a particular portion of the mechanism of Figure 1.

My invention consists broadly in the provision of a pincer adapted to cut stubble led between the open jaws thereof, the pincer action being actuated by the action of one arm of the pincer pivoting about a fixed point upon coming into con act with the stubble aforesaid.

Referring now to Figure l, 1 indicates the outer shaver case which may be of any suitable material but which for reasons of economy and ease of fabrication might preferably be a strong, light weight plastic. At the shaver end, the casing is flared as at 2, the flared portion forming a guide adapted to bear against the skin in a manner which will become apparent hereafter.

The pincer which elfects the cutting indicated generally as at 3A is formed by opposed jaws 3 and 4, piv- 2,827,692 0 1C Patented Mar. 25, 1958 otally connected together as at 5 and mounted in a manner which will be explained hereafter in the casing 1. The pincer-cutter is so mounted so that the pincer when closed is in a straight line with or slightly behind the outer face of the flared portion 2.

Following the pivot point between the two jaws 3 and 4 of the pincer, arm 6 of jaw 3 may extend rearwardly into the interior of the body 1 of the shaver. This arm is pivotally connected as at 7 to the case 1. The arm 6 should extend beyond this pivot a further distance 8 rearwardly into the interior of the case 1. Towards the end of the arm 6, 8, a pin 9 is provided, on which a sleeve 9A is adapted to slide the sleeve being provided with a keyway 9B as shown, for that purpose. Attached to the sleeve 9A is a link 18 which acts in the nature of a crank, being aifixed to the case 1 as by means of a pin 10. Following the pin 10 the link 18 terminates in an inturned portion 11A. This inturned portion 11A is adapted to fit between lugs 32A on a wheel 12 mounted in a shaft 33. The escape wheel 12 may be provided with a series of weights 3i acting in slots 3i) against spring action under centrifugal force, and the movement of these weights could act as a governor of the release of spring or electrical power. This shaft, by means of any convenient system of gears, pinions, etc. is connected both to a source of mechanical or electrical power shown here as wound spring 19 to a cam wheel As shown in the drawings the shaft 13 has integrally mounted thereon, a small pinion 21 meshing with a large pinion 20 which is integrally connected in turn to the cam wheel 14 and is adapted to rotate therewith being mounted on a common shaft 23. The shaft 13 subject to the action of the wheel 12 (as hereinafter described) is caused to rotate by the action of the coiled spring 19, through the bevel gear arrangement shown, thus transmitting power to the cam wheel 14 in the manner described hereinafter. The construction of the shaver shown in the drawing is adapted for mechanical power, a main spring 19 being coiled in the lower portion of the shaver and capable of being wound in any convenient manner from the outside of the case. As shown in the drawings, the power of the spring 39 may be transmitted to the shaft 13 by means of a large pinion 32 integrally attached to the spring 19 and meshing with a pinion 33. The pinion 33 which in turn is mounted on the same shaft as bevelled pinion 34 is adapted to mesh with bevelled pinion 35 mounted on shaft 13. For reasons which will become apparent hereafter, this form of shaver does not require continuous actuation and thus is ideally adaptable to the spring type of actuation. This actuation has the advantage of being completely por able and being usable in any situation or location, afiording, so far as I know, the only true portable automatic shaver available. If desired, however, an electric motor may be used to provide the necessary motive power.

This cam wheel consists of a regular series of gradual rises and valleys and a ball or other protuberance 15 on the arm 16 of jaw 4 is adapted to ride on the cam wheel and be reciprccated thereby.

Means as provided for holding the pincer in normal open relationship is shown in Figure 1 and for returning the pincer to this relationship after it has been closed. Such means could be as opposed springs 17, attached to one end to the arm 6 and at their other ends to opposite sides of the casing.

A further spring 17A is provided between arms 6 and .16 adapted to hold the pincer in the open position.

The operation of this shaver is as follows:

The flared ends 2 of the casing 1 are brought to bear against the surface to be shaved, the pincer 3-4 will then be in its normal or open position as shown in Figure 1. The shaver is then moved along the skin surusage.

tase- Whe the s ubble enter the p j of the pincer 3-4, and the shaver is moved along the skin, the resistance which the stubble offers to the open jaw of the pincer will cause the pincer arm 6-8 to pivot with resp ct to the radual about Po h movemam f t e rearwa dlv p ojec g a 8 thus d, is transla sd intq a side ay mot n bf a 1 o a psi4 t n (sho n in do te l n s in Figu where the i turned outermost portion 11A of arm 1i passes out of engagement with the lugs 12A of governing escape wheel L2, Binge wheel '12 is connected to the source of power shgwnfas coiled spring 19 this releases the power and through .any suitable power transmission system as for sxamfile y means o a s 0 d r y described,

canses rotation of cani wheel 13. This rotation in turn gives an oscillating action to the arm 16 and through pivot and spring 17A causes the pincer'jaws 3 and 4 a s a and. cl alternat y- This pincer aetign eifectively cuts the stubble which' originally caused the mechanism to become actuated. As soon as the stubble between the jaws of pincer 3-'4 is out, there being no further resistance to the open jaws, the springs17 will return the arm 6 to its centre position bringing lever 18 and arm 11 and 11A back to engagement with the lugs 12A in governing escape wheel 12 and the spring 17A will return the pincer to its normal open position, all as shown in Figure 1 until further stubble causes further actuation.

' ,I have found in practice that the pincers will effect a clean positive'cutting of the stubble without the neces- 'sity of sharp or honed blades. The cutting of the stubble is a pinching action and only two surfaces meeting 7 the stubble between them are 'required.- If desired for any practical .reason, however, sharp shearing blades in the nature of scissor blades could be substituted.

As pointed out above, the razor is actuated by the power'source only when there is between the pincer jaws a stubble to be cut, and at all other times, the'pincer jaws'are open, ready to receive stubble, and no power is being consumed. This feature makes the deviceparticularly adaptable to the mechanical power sources such as springs since a single winding can easily last for one i or more shaves.

If a quicker shave were desired, more than one pincer could be mounted parallel to each other in a single body member, Such an arrangement would closely resemble in appearance the multihead electric shavers in common I have described above, one specific construction of the shaver which forms my invention. It is to be understood, however, that'such specific'construction is given by way of example only and should'not be construed as a limita a 4 tion of my invention. Such embodiments ofmy invention as come Within the scope and purview of the appended claims are to be considered as part of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is: V V 1. An automatic shaver comprising a hollow casing,

at least one pincer disposed within said casing, said pincer having a forwardly extending jaw and rearwardly extending pincer arms, and being adapted to cut stubble led between said pincer jaws, a source of power, a pivotal mount adapted to pivotally secure at least one of said 'rearwardly' extending pincer arms to the interior of the casing at a point short of the rearmost extremity of said pincer arm, means connecting said source of power to the pincer arms and means for causing the release of said power only when said pincer arm is displaced from its normal position and for retaining said power when the pincer arm is returned to said normal position.

2. An automatic shaver comprising a hollow casing, having an outwardly flared open end portion, at least one pincer disposed within said casing, said pincer having-a forwardly extending jaw disposed slightly behind'said outwardly flared end portion, and rearwardly extending pincer arms, said pincer being adapted to cut stubble led between the jaws thereof, a source of power, a pivotal mount adapted to secure one of said rearwardly extending pincer arms pivotally to the interior of the casing at a point short of the rearmostextremity of said secured pincer arm, a linkage between the rearmost extremity of said secured pincer arm and said power source adapted to release said power upon displacement-of said secured pincer arm, and to retain said power upon re-* pincer arms to the normal osition after said incers v P V have effected the cutting of the stubble.

3. An automatic shaver as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means connecting said source of power to the unsecured pincer arm to cause said pincer jaws alternately to open and close when said power is released, comprises a cam wheel actuated by said source of power and a rider afiixed to said unsecured pincer arm adapted to be actuated by said cam wheel. 7 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,676 Harding Mar. 5, 1940 Elinsky July 5, 1949 

